How to Become A Medical Geneticist In South Africa

Medical geneticists specialize in medicine that involves the interaction between genes and health. They are trained to evaluate, diagnose, manage, treat and counsel individuals of all ages with hereditary disorders.

What kind of doctor is a geneticist?

A geneticist who meets with patients to evaluate, diagnose, and manage genetic disorders is a doctor with special training in genetics, also called a clinical geneticist. Clinical geneticists: Meet with and examine patients. Order appropriate genetic tests.

Who is a medical geneticist?

A clinical geneticist is a physician who specializes in medical conditions that have a genetic influence. Clinical geneticists evaluate, diagnose, research, and manage patients with hereditary conditions and/or congenital malformations. They also provide hereditary risk calculations for at-risk family members.

What does a geneticist mean?

(jeh-NEH-tih-sist) A scientist who has special training in the study of genes and heredity (the passing of genetic information from parents to their children). A medical geneticist is a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating genetic disorders or conditions.

Educational Requirements for Becoming a Medical Geneticist in South Africa

The minimum educational requirement for becoming a medical geneticist is a doctoral degree followed by specialized training in the subspecialty and field of the physician choice.

Step-by-Step Educational Path to Becoming a medical Geneticist:

Bachelor’s Degree

The bachelor’s degree is the basis of education for all physicians. The scientific knowledge and education at this point of training is what sets the physician up for success throughout the rest of their career. It is important for all aspiring doctors to take this first level of education seriously and get as much as they can out of it.

Medical College Admissions Test

The MCAT is designed to test the prospective medical students grasp of basic scientific knowledge, problem solving and critical thinking skills. It is scored for each category and those numbers are submitted along with all other medical school admissions requirements.

Most medical schools have published their minimum and competitive MCAT scores so students know what to strive for and where they stand when submitting their materials. In addition to knowing the minimum scores, it is recommended that all students use the many available resources that exist for studying and preparing to take the test.

Medical School Admissions

In addition to submitting their scores from their MCAT, students will submit their cumulative GPA, letters of reference, information about extracurricular activities and leadership experience and any other information that will set them apart from other applicants. As medical school is so competitive it is wise to gather the materials and work hard to make every submission count.

Medical School

Once accepted into medical school, the real work starts. Students will start with two years of science and laboratory training along with medical ethics and classes on the art and practice of medicine. This knowledge is tested the second year of medical school when students take the United States Medical Licensing Exam, Step 1.

Residency

The first two years of residency will be in a general medical field such as internal medicine, pediatrics or obstetrics and gynecology. From there the student will enter into genetics residency.

Clinical genetics is considered a primary specialty by the American Board of Medical Specialties, rather than a sub-specialty. This means the next exam sequence will be for clinical genetics board certification after two years of experience in the field.

A medical geneticist may perform some of the following tasks, as outlined by The Mayo Clinic Department of Medical Genetics:

Provide a diagnostic workup of rare and inherited conditions

Provide genetics evaluation of hereditary cancer symptoms

Education patients and families about familial diseases

Provide latest testing techniques

How long does it take to become a medical geneticist?

If you want to become a clinical geneticist, you will first need to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree program. Afterward, you will need to graduate from a medical school, which usually can be completed in around four years. Medical school graduates need to complete around 3 years of residency.

How long does it take to become a geneticist in South Africa?

The Medical Genetics MMed programme is a four-year, full-time professional Masters degree (NQF level 9).

What degree do you need to be a medical geneticist in South Africa ?

Clinical geneticists have medical degrees such as MD, DO or equivalent degrees and have completed at least one residency year in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited primary specialty followed by two years of medical genetics and genomics residency training.

What is the salary of a medical geneticist in South Africa ?

Clinical Geneticist Salaries

Job TitleSalary
South Africa General Hospital Clinical Geneticist salaries – 4 salaries reportedR 4352421.13/yr
Trillium Health Partners Foundation Clinical Geneticist salaries – 1 salaries reportedR 4101483.24/yr

Who is a medical geneticist?

A clinical geneticist is a physician who specializes in medical conditions that have a genetic influence. Clinical geneticists evaluate, diagnose, research, and manage patients with hereditary conditions and/or congenital malformations. They also provide hereditary risk calculations for at-risk family members.

What kind of doctor is a geneticist?

A geneticist who meets with patients to evaluate, diagnose, and manage genetic disorders is a doctor with special training in genetics, also called a clinical geneticist. Clinical geneticists: Meet with and examine patients. Order appropriate genetic tests.

What can I do with a medical genetics degree?

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

Academic researcher.

Clinical research associate.

Clinical scientist, genomics.

Clinical scientist, immunology.

Genetic counsellor.

Pharmacologist.

Plant breeder/geneticist.

Research scientist (life sciences)

Can a doctor become geneticist?

Individuals seeking acceptance into clinical genetics training programs must hold an M.D. or D.O. degree (or their equivalent) and have completed a minimum of 24 months of training in an ACGME-accredited residency program in internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, or other medical specialty.

Are geneticists in demand?

The overall job outlook for Geneticists careers has been positive . Vacancies for this career have increased by 43.09 percent nationwide in that time, with an average growth of 2.69 percent per year. Demand for Geneticists is expected to go up, with an expected 8,240 new jobs filled .